Company eager to fill green-cleaning niche

By Rhonda J. Miller PBN Staff Writer

Diversified Resources, a Warwick financial advisory firm, changed its cleaning company a couple of months ago to Green Pro Services, a new venture with a mission to be a completely green business. More

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ENVIRONMENT

Company eager to fill green-cleaning niche

CLEAN LIVING: Alfred Renaud, owner of Green Pro Services, has been in the cleaning business for 35 years. After a health scare three years ago, he now uses only nontoxic products in his work.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Posted:
Saturday, April 26, 2014 12:05 am

By Rhonda J. Miller PBN Staff Writer

Diversified Resources, a Warwick financial advisory firm, changed its cleaning company a couple of months ago to Green Pro Services, a new venture with a mission to be a completely green business.

The financial firm’s office manager, Maryann Magnan, made the switch based on a recommendation from her son, who used Green Pro for his business.

Magnan found the offices to be just as clean, with no odor of cleaning products. She also found the cost to be about the same as with the previous service. Magnan’s big surprise was the trickle-down effect that came with Lincoln-based Green Pro Services, which uses only nontoxic chemicals and micro-fiber clothes.

“It’s impacted what I use at home. I changed some of my products. I’m more conscious,” said Magnan.

Magnan’s heightened awareness of cleaning chemicals is just what Green Pro Services owner Alfred Renaud hoped for – a multilayered impact on clients.

“If I can save one person from getting sick, I feel I’m doing something right. I’m helping people,” said Renaud, who has worked in the cleaning business for 35 years.

Renaud is hoping to fill a niche in the industry that is very competitive locally on prices, says David Caldarella, owner of Liberty Commercial Cleaning in Cranston. And price is what most of his customers are concerned with, he says.

Using green products is not cost-competitive and is rarely requested by his clients, said Caldarella, who’s been in business for 20 years and has 17 employees.

“Unfortunately, in this competitive market, as much as I’d like to do green cleaning for everyone, there are a lot of cleaning businesses in Rhode Island and the bigger guys are hyper-competitive in terms of price,” said Caldarella.

“Companies are looking at their budgets. They consider three cleaning companies and pick the one with the lowest price,” he said. “Some of the companies aren’t familiar with green products. I have trash bags that decompose, for example, but if that’s a few dollars more and I put it into my price, I probably won’t get the job.”

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